DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Decatur Police issued a statement Friday condemning the recent rash of gun violence in the city.
On the morning of Aug. 17, police were called to five separate incidents of shots fired, all within hours of each other.
The shootings left one person dead and several other injured.
Since that Monday morning, Decatur Police Department has responded to nine more shooting or shots fired incidents.
1) On Monday, August 17 at 2 p.m. Decatur Police said they tried to pull over a vehicle driven by Antione Ridley, 20. They said Ridley fled the traffic stop on foot. Officers said Ridley was found to be in possession of stolen gun. He was booked into the Macon County Jail and preliminarily charged with possessing a stolen firearm and other weapons offenses.
2) On Monday, August 17 around 6 p.m., officers were called to 1400 E. William St. for shots fired. At least one house and two vehicles were struck by gunfire. 12 shell casing were recovered from the scene. Police said the probable targets of this incident were uncooperative, and witnesses had very little information to give.
3) On Tuesday, August 18 at midnight, officers were called to 1200 E. Sedgewick for shots fired. A house had been struck by gunfire. The resident of the house was uncooperative with officers, police said. 13 shell casings were recovered at the scene.
4) On Tuesday, August 18 just before 4 a.m., officers were called to 1500 N. Dennis for shots fired. A victim was found inside a residence suffering from numerous apparent gunshot wounds. The victim was treated at an area hospital for non-life threatening gunshot wounds. The victim had no information to give police. 22 shell casings were recovered outside the residence.
5) On Tuesday, August 18 at about 7:20 p.m., officers responded to 1400 W. Forest Ave. for shots fired in the area. Officers located a vehicle in the area which had been struck by gunfire. Witnesses described seeing a man in the alley firing a handgun. 2 shell casings were recovered.
6) On Wednesday, August 19 just before 1 a.m., officers responded to shots fired in the area of 700 E. Marietta. Police said as they arrived, Deandre Smith, 37, fled from a vehicle in the area. Officers said Smith tossed two guns while from police. Police said as they took Smith into custody, they realized he had also suffered an apparent gunshot wound. Smith would receive treatment at a local hospital for his injury. He was booked into the Macon County Jail preliminarily charged with various weapons offenses. 11 shell casings recovered at the scene.
7) On Wednesday, August 19 just before 9 a.m., a patrol officer heard the sound of gunshots in the area of Jasper and Condit. Officers responded to the area finding approximately 20 people at the scene. There was very little cooperation from those people, police said. No shell casing were recovered.
8) On Wednesday, August 19 at about 10:20 p.m., a patrol officer heard the sound of gunshots in the area of Main and Illinois. Officers found two uninjured victims in a vehicle. A vague description of a red car with a man firing a gun out the front passenger side window in the direction of the victims was given. Two shell casings were recovered.
9) On Thursday, August 20 just before 2 a.m., officers were called to the area of Maple and Waggoner for shots fired. No victims or witnesses were located. Seven shell casings were recovered.
The Decatur Police Department said it does not believe that these are random acts of violence.
"The Decatur Police Department has zero tolerance for violence in the community. We will continue to actively investigate all these incidents. The Department will aggressively pursue those individuals in the community looking to inflict violence on others," the department said in a statement.
"In many of these investigations the officers are treated poorly by the onlookers, but the Officers and Detectives have remained professional and continue to try and identify the suspects. The community is also responsible for safety in their community which is part of community policing. We know there are citizens that have information to help end this senseless violence in our community."
If you have information about any of these incidents, The Decatur Police Department is asking you to come forward with information. Persons can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 423-TIPS.
